The name “Singapore” means Lion City. That is slightly unusual, since Lions do not exist onSingapore (except in their Zoo), but as far as conferences go, this one roared!
After travelling around the world, and with a short stop in the very large and chaotic city of Bangkok, I arrived in Singapore for the Annual Rotary International Convention. With attendance north of 20,000 people, this Conference left attendees truly inspired, ready to return to their districts and make lasting and impactful changes in our communities.
The venue for the event was the Marina Bay Sands Conference and Expo Center, and was part of a very large hotel, shopping and conference center. In fact, it was the largest project ever built at the time. The island nation of Singapore played host, with its vibrant and diverse city life. There was plenty to see, but not enough time to see all that the city has to offer.
As to the Convention itself, over 7,000 people packed into the Grand Ballroom (Twice) for opening ceremonies. We were inspired by RI President Gord McInally, the parade of flags, and the Lion and Dragon cultural dances. A Zone event was attended, where old acquaintances were renewed and new acquaintances were made. And we were left in awe, as RI Director Drew Kessler showed up, days after being injured in a turbulence accident on the way to Singapore.
- DG Scott Marcin
The remainder of the Convention was filled with Rotarians and Non-Rotarians sharing their stories of how Rotary changed their lives, inspiring us each step along the way. We had numerous opportunities to learn new ideas in the break our session, and the House of Friendship gave you the opportunity to find a fellowship or project of your liking, in addition to short presentations by the RI President and RI President Elect, Stephanie Urchick. As always, the Convention, ended with a bang, with RI President McInally providing us hope, and turning the leadership over to RI President Elect. The show stopper was Heather McInally singing several broadway songs, with a fellow Rotarians Opera Singer, Michael Lapine, from Australia. It brought the house down.
Immediately, you start thinking, I want to go to the next conference. It was that awesome. And guess what, next year you do not have to travel around the world to go. Next year, the International Convention will be in Calgary. And by the early promotions, it looks like it will be another fantastic opportunity for Rotarians to go and get a glimpse of what Rotary has to offer outside of your club and District. Registrations are going quick, so get in early. Make plans to join you fellow Rotarians from D7090 at the base of the Rockies for the Rotary experience of a lifetime. I hope you will consider joining me out in Calgary in June 2025. Ya-Hoo! (as they like to say)!
Thanks for helping to “Create Hope in the World”!